Powered by Play

Avery and Drew sign off from Powered by Play, talking about what they're currently playing, recent shows they've seen, and what they hope for listeners to take away from this podcast.

Reach us at poweredbyplaypod@gmail.com 

What does the future look like? How do we use science fiction and technology to imagine and play with what could happen days, weeks, years from now? Alongside special guest Brooke Chappell, Drew and Avery explore the bright and hopeful–-or dangerous and despairing—future. From time capsules buried in backyards to Star Trek and the Jetsons, join us as we venture into the world that exists beyond our time!

This month, Avery and Drew get active! From Jazzercise to kung fu, fitness can be a source of play in our daily lives. Sports such as track and field, e-sports, and even minigolf can organize us into beating personal records, cheering each other on, or simply socializing. Join us as we dive headfirst into the empowering and energizing world of fitness and sports!

What are the ways we playfully venture into the great (for us) unknown? How do we navigate when far from home, and how do we bring far from home to us? This month Avery and Drew are joined by Rose Angulo to explore playing traveler and tourist, making our way to unfamiliar spaces and learning more about others and ourselves! Whether at a tea ceremony in Kyoto, or in tunnels below the city of Rome, we’ll hit the see the sights and make some memories!

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

This month, Avery and Drew get dressed up! From theatrical costumes to personal style, from school uniforms to superhero transformations, and even dabbling in the spooky and naughty, playing dress up can be a big part of our playful lives. It allows us to alter our appearances for aesthetic purposes, or it might be required to play a certain role. Join us as we explore how what we wear sends messages about power, emotion, culture, group belonging, legacy, or pure personal expression!

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

What makes a house a home? Could it be a sense of play? This month, Avery and Drew go deep into the foundations of how we learn what it means to have a space to call our own. Designing homes, thrilling at haunted houses, or imagining rooms on stage—there are many ways we play to understand where we live. Come join us as we eat, sleep, and make pillow forts in our episode at home!

What makes you laugh? How are jokes playful, and how might they have serious consequences? This month, Avery and Drew play at being jokers, examining how humor playfully comments on the world around us. Tricksters, jesters, even social change facilitators- who writes the jokes and who does the laughing?

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

Does crime play? This month, Avery and Drew are joined by Orange County Public Defender Rose Angulo to explore the playful (and serious) aspects of law and order in society. From Paw Patrol to Model UN to the sentencing of Mr. Toad, we’ll explore how crime, justice, and laws are part of our lives from pre-school through adulthood. All rise for this special longer episode!

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

Got a secret admirer? How about someone who gives you butterflies? This month, Avery and Drew get swept away by the languages of the heart. We’ll be delving into playground chants, adult party games, valentines, and BDSM dungeons. What does it mean to desire, in the many ways we use the term? Why do we crave romance, and why does it mean wine and roses to some and black lace and dates in a cemetery to others? How do we play through these powerful emotions, and what kind of happily (or mostly content) ever after are we headed toward?

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

Heroes and villains: they are the cornerstone of epic storytelling. From Indiana Jones to Sailor Moon, and Spider-man to Ali Baba, there's countless ways to play the role of a hero. And as demonstrated by Elphaba in Wicked, Syndrome in The Incredibles, or Zuko in Avatar the Last Airbender, our villains are usually more than meets the eye. But what happens when the lines between hero and villain blur, transform, and mix together in unpredictable ways? Join Avery and Drew as they play around with the forces of good and evil that underlie everything around us. 

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

Listeners, start your engines! This month Drew and Avery feel the need… the need for speed! Join us as we examine what it means to drive, pilot, and ride along, whether it’s by wings, wheels, sails, rails, or on four legs. We’ll watch train sets circle a table, construct and play some Mario Kart vehicles, sail the Spanish Main, and join Harley riders and horse girls. It’s a journey down memory lane and a new route down the highway!

You can support our podcast on Ko-Fi! ko-fi.com/poweredbyplay

How do we rehearse our unconscious desires to wreak havoc or release negative emotions? How is fighting, professional or not, full of ritual play or aggression? What are the ways that we play around with causing chaos or exchanging pain, and why do we involve ourselves in activities that “hurt so good?” This month, Avery and Drew investigate the cycle of creation and destruction and how we let out aggression in the best or worst ways.